Comments made by the Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Nikola Gruevski in a speech he made to the FYROM community in Sydney has drawn a strong response from the the Greek deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Dimitris Droutsas.
According to a report from fYROM’s news agency MINA, Mr Gruevski urged the FYROM community in Australia to be united.
“Macedonians in Australia enjoy a unique opportunity to live together with their Aegean, Pirin compatriots, which is not the case in their native country, Gruevski said, calling them to not divide on these grounds as there are no Vardar, Aegean, Pirin Macedonians, but only Macedonians,” Mr Gruevski is quoted as saying in the MINA report.
Mr Gruevski also asked from the Diaspora to remain united on the issue of the name dispute with Greece.
He noted that the negotiations with Greece are due to resume to find a compromise solution that he promised will not harm “Macedonian national interests, language, nation, culture, integrity, identity, pride and dignity, and will become valid only if embraced by citizens at a referendum.”
The response from the Greek deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Dimitris Droutsas to Mr Gruevski’s reference to “Aegean Macedonians” was clear cut.
“We will not enter into any form of dialogue with Mr Gruevski or Skopje about nonexistent issues, ” Mr Droutsas said. “Greece sees its relations with Skopje with an open mind and always constructively. Skopje’s leadership has to realise that it is up to them to choose between the usual aggressive, nationalistic and irreedentist rhetoric or to invest into a constructive, honest and essential dialogue to resolve the name dispute issue.”
He reiterated Greece’s position that the only solution is a definitive composite name with geographical qualification of the term Macedonia, for all purposes (erga omnes) and for all uses.